The present disclosure relates to processes useful in providing toners suitable for electrostatographic apparatuses, including xerographic apparatuses such as digital, image-on-image, and similar apparatuses.
Numerous processes are known for the preparation of toners, such as, for example, conventional processes wherein a resin is melt kneaded or extruded with a pigment, micronized and pulverized to provide toner particles. Toner can also be produced by emulsion aggregation methods. Methods of preparing an emulsion aggregation (EA) type toner are within the purview of those skilled in the art, and toners may be formed by aggregating a colorant with a latex polymer formed by emulsion polymerization. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,943, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, is directed to a semi-continuous emulsion polymerization process for preparing a latex by first forming a seed polymer. Other examples of emulsion/aggregation/coalescing processes for the preparation of toners are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,403,693, 5,418,108, 5,364,729, and 5,346,797, the disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. Other processes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,527,658, 5,585,215, 5,650,255, 5,650,256 and 5,501,935, the disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The variability of quality in the materials utilized to form the latexes utilized therein, as well as the presence of impurities in the starting materials, may result in the formation of particles that are too large in size and thus unsuitable for their intended use.
Improved methods for producing toner, which minimize sensitivity to variations in starting materials and are capable of utilizing existing processing equipment and machinery, remain desirable.